Family
by Angelsmile
Summary: One day, Estel gets sick and has to stay home. But his brothers have something else in store for him


Author: Angelsmile

Title: Family

Chapter: 1/1

Summery: Estel gets sick one day and has to stay home. But his brothers have something in store for him.

Rating: G

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any LOTR characters, locations, etc. I only own this story polt and the plot bunny that went with it.

God Bless!!  
Angel

Family

Night slowly crept into Rivendell. Lanterns were light and the soft words of songs floated up into the open window of a young human boy. The ten year old sighed and rolled over in his bed. He had been there for the entire day and the hours seemed to go by no faster. Estel propped himself up on one elbow and looked out the window. His stomach turned as he did so, but somehow everything stayed down. If you call Elrond's teas something. Yes, Estel was sick, and sick of being sick. He was supposed to go camping with Elladan and Elrohir that morning, but when his breakfast refused to stay down, right into bed he went. And there he had been hours, wondering how long he may have to be there.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. "Estel? Are you still awake?" called Elrohir.

"Yeah, I'm awake."

The door opened and the twins walked inside, the elder bearing a tray of soup for his youngest brother. Estel let out a groan as Elladan placed the tray on the bed. "Can't I have something to chew? I think my jaw is going to fall off."

"If you keep talking, it may," joked Elrohir as he sat in a chair near to his brother's bed. "Ada's the one who sent it up. He wants you to eat all of it."

"I thought you might need something. This is all I could get." Elladan brought out a napkin filled with a few pieces of bread and a bright red apple.

"I wish I could do something," mumbled Estel as he nibbled on the bread. "All I've done is lay here; and being extremely bored." He was so focused on his meal that he missed the wink passed between Elladan and Elrohir.

"You know Estel, if you eat all of your dinner, Ro and I may just give you a surprise." Elladan broke out into a smile at the look on the young human's face.

"Really?! What kind of surprise?"

Elrohir leaned forward and pushed the tray closer to Estel. "Eat it all by the time we come back and we'll show you."

Estel narrowed his eyes at the smiling twins. "Promise?"

"We promise," laughed Elladan. "Now, start eating."

Estel set upon his dinner with a will. He bit into the apple numerous times and tore into the bread. When he got to the soup, Elladan bit his lip to keep from laughing as Estel burned his tongue.

"It's your own fault, gwador."

Estel stopped eating long enough to scowl at Elladan. "Shouldn't you two be leaving for my surprise?"

Elrohir grabbed a hold of his twin's sleeve and pulled him out of the door. "We're going, Estel. Just keep eating and slow down!"

"Then again, you did burn your own tongue…" Elladan quickly shut the door as a pillow flew through the air and hit the place where his head was a second before. "You know, I think he's feeling better," he remarked to his twin.

Elrohir just shook his head and started down the hallway. "Dan, there are some times when I seriously have to think about who's older, you or Estel."

"Hey!" Elladan swiveled on his heel and started following. "That wasn't nice!"

"Perhaps, but it was funny!"

Elladan didn't say anything but chased his brother down the hallway, both yelling at the top of their lungs. The elves they passed while on their chase just shook their heads. The sons of Elrond were at it again; just like always. Perhaps this time they would not break anything.

_CRASH!_

Stand corrected.

* * *

Estel waited anxiously for his brothers to return. He had long ago finished his dinner, with everything surprisingly staying down. The boy traced patterns on the coverlet, counted the stars he could see from his bead, and even attempted to figure out why Elladan and Elrohir liked maidens. 

_Ewww! That was gross!_ Needless to say, now Estel was even more bored that he had been all day. Finally, he settled on whistling a tune over and over again; knowing he wouldn't' be able to forget it for quite a while.

"Estel?" came Elrohir's voice. He and his twin were in the doorway.

Estel sat straight up in his bed, a wide grin of his face. "Come in!" The twins did so and he noticed they were now dressed in their sleeping attire. "Where's my surprise?"

Elladan laughed as Elrohir took the tray and placed it on the chair. "We're going to take you to it, gwador." As if Estel weighted nothing, he picked him up and settled the boy on his hip.

"Dan…" he started.

"Estel, if Ada saw us letting you walk, both Ro and I would have stable duty and you'd be in bed for at least a few more days."

Estel laughed at Elladan's reason, but consented to being carried. In reality, he really didn't mind, but he was getting older and knew he should be doing things on his own. But whenever the chance rose, he would try anything to be carried or even held by his brothers or, better yet, by his Ada. All three were extremely strong, making Estel feel protected and safe, knowing that they would never ever let him fall.

Sighing, he leaned his head down to Elladan's shoulder and buried his face in his brother's long black hair. "Getting sleepy, Estel?" joked the elder twin, bouncing the boy gently but careful to keep his grip tight.

"No, I'm awake."

Elrohir stopped the pair, standing in front of two double doors. "Good because your surprise is in here." He laughed as Estel jolted up from Elladan's shoulder, a look of extreme happiness on his face. "But first, you have to close your eyes."

Estel pouted, but closed his eyes anyway. "This had better be good."

"Don't worry, it is," assured Elladan while Elrohir waved his hand in front of Estel's face, making sure his eyes were truly closed. When he was sure, he opened the door and walked in, followed by Elladan.

"Alright, open them!" Estel did as he was told and gasped.

A sleep-in in Ada's room!

"Thanks Dan! Thanks Ro!" Estel gave both elves hugs before being set down on his bedroll that had been placed before the warm hearth, with Elladan and Elrohir and either side of him. "This is perfect!!"

"You're welcome, gwador," said Elladan, sitting down while Elrohir did the same. "Why don't we tell stories? Estel, have you heard the one where Elrohir shot himself in the foot?"

Elrohir's eyes went wide and his mouth agape. Before he could respond though, Estel said, "No, I haven't. What happened?"

Elladan smiled cheekily at his twin before retelling the story. "Well, we were about your age when Ada started teaching us how to use a bow. He was helping me notch my arrow while Ro already had his notched. That's when a rabbit came out of the bushes, right near his feet. Ro was so startled that he pointed his arrow down and released it right into his foot!"

Estel was howling with laughter as Elladan finished. Elrohir, on the other hand, was glowing a deep red. "That's funny Dan!" Estel struggled to get his breathing under control. "Did you…ever do…anything like that?"

"No, Estel. I haven't."

Elrohir narrowed his eyes and smiled his own mischievous smile. "On the contrary brother. Don't you remember what happened a few months later?"

Elladan's laughs stopped immediately as he remembered. "You wouldn't even dare!"

"I wouldn't?" Elrohir winked at his twin.

Estel snapped his head between the two, bouncing up and down on his bedroll. "What is it? Please tell me!"

"Alright," said Elrohir. A groan form nearby made the two look over to Elladan. He fell face down on his pillow and covered his ears with his hands. He obviously didn't want to relive that memory.

"Anyway," continued the younger twin. "A few months after my incident, we had gotten better at archery. One day, Elladan was out alone practicing. I was following Ada to go and get him. Elladan had just drawn back when Ada called out to him. Dan turned partly around towards him and let go of his arrow! And you'd never guess what his hit!"

"What?! What?!" Estel was paying rapt attention to the story.

"He hit Glorfindel in the behind!!"

Estel fell backwards from his laughter. Tears started rolling down his cheeks and he had to grab his sides from the pain. "I bet…haha…Glorfy…hehe...had a hard…time…sitting…haha…after that!"

"If I remember right, Elladan had a harder time sitting than Glorfindel did that night," mused Elrohir, pulling Estel into his lap.

"Dan?" Estel's eyes went huge as he looked to his eldest brother. "Did Ada really…"

"Yes, Estel. He did," came the mumbled reply. Elladan sat up once more, his face still beet red. "Let me tell you, that hurt!"

Estel was overtaken by laughs again, as was Elrohir. Elladan grabbed his pillow and threw it at the pair, catching Elrohir square in the face, toppling him backwards and landing Estel on the younger twin's chest. There was a moment's silence as Elrohir and Estel sat back upright and stared at Elladan.

Then, an all out pillow fight ensued!

Elladan rounded his father's large bed and grabbed as many pillows as he could before firing them off. Elrohir and Estel worked as a team; Estel gathering pillows while Elrohir fired them. Just as he was about to throw one, Elrohir had a pillow hit him smack on the right side of the face.

"Estel!!"

The ten year old laughed hysterically before moving away with more pillows to throw. It was now a free for all. The twins went for each other and Estel; while their younger brother tried to go for the both of them, amazingly scoring a good many hits.

He threw one last pillow at Elladan; only to have it burst open and feathers fall over the place. "Oops."

Elrohir and Elladan shared a look, and then pounced towards Estel, causing him to shriek with laughter once more. Elrohir caught him this time, and after a good few minutes of tickling, placed him back on his bedroll. Estel gasped through his remaining laughs, watching Elrohir help Elladan in cleaning up the feathers. After they had done so, the two joined him and all three were soon tucked in with blankets.

Estel yawned and felt his eyes growing heavy. "Thanks Dan…_yawn_…thanks Ro…Love you," he whispered, falling asleep soon afterwards.

Elladan brushed back a lock of curly hair from the boy's forehead while Elrohir tucked the blanket in more securely around Estel's shoulders. "Love you too, tithen gwador."

After a few more minutes, the twins allowed themselves to slip into elven dreams; with both their hands in Estel's, should he ever need them during the night. The fire crackled as the night went on, though never really going out.

* * *

Elrond walked slowly down the hallway, rubbing the bridge of his nose gently. He had been at his desk nearly all day, attempting to find a solution for a nearby town, which was dealing with wrags. Glorfindel finally convinced him to retire of the night, claiming he needed rest and that he hadn't checked on Estel since morning. That was true; he did have to look in on Estel. Anytime his little boy was sick, everyone in Imladris held their breath. 

_Little boy_ Elrond shook his head. Estel was growing up; far too quickly in Elrond's opinion. But, there was nothing he could do to stop it. All humans grow old and die; that was life. Thought the very thought of loosing Estel made Elrond shiver. Although that day was many years away, with Estel's luck for acquiring injuries and illnesses, Elrond had begun to wonder if the Valar just loved nearly giving him gray hairs.

All thoughts were pushed aside as he reached his youngest's door and knocked gently. "Estel? Ion nin, are you awake?" When there came no answer, Elrond opened the door only to find the room completely empty! There was the tray he had sent up earlier on a nearby chair, the food eaten. The bed was rumpled, but empty. Another quick look around proved that all Estel's things were still there but no Estel!

Elrond quickly left for the twins' rooms, only to find them in the same state. Empty! With his heartbeat quickly gaining speed, Elrond paced the hallway while trying to figure out where they might be.

Disrupted by the noise outside, Glorfindel poked his head out of his study door. He was met with that sight. "Something wrong, mellon nin?"

Elrond swung around to the elf, arms flaying and worry in his voice. "The boys are gone! They're not in Estel's room nor Elladan's…"

"Have you tried your room?" Glorfindel smirked at the elven lord.

Elrond stopped mid rant and realized he hadn't. Feeling his cheeks flame with embarrassment, he smiled over to his friend. "What would I do without you, Glorfindel?"

The said elf just laughed. "Probably loose your head." He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. "If you hadn't been so busy, you may have heard the laughter coming from your room. I don't believe anyone in Imladris didn't hear them, save you."

"Very funny, mellon." Elrond stopped walking back to turn around once more. "Thank you, Glorfindel. For everything."

"You're welcome. Good night, Elrond." With a mumbled reply reaching his ears, Glorfindel closed his study door to finish what he and Elrond had started earlier that day.

* * *

As softly as he could, Elrond opened his bedroom door and entered. Just as Glorfindel had said, there were his boys, asleep in front of the hearth. With a smile, he started to make his way over there, careful not to trip on the numerous pillows thrown all over the room. _That must have been some pillow fight_. 

Elrond finally made it across, ending up kneeling beside Elladan and watching all three sleep. Estel had rolled toward Elrohir sometime before, though one of his hands still clasped tightly to Elladan's. The sight brought tears to the mighty elven lord's eyes. _I am truly blessed._ Just then, Estel moved in his sleep, letting out the smallest whimper. Elladan mumbled something that stilled the boy; and sounded a lot like "Hush, gwador" but Elrond could not be sure.

Whispering thanks to the Valar under his breath, Elrond kissed each son in turn on his forehead and tucked the blankets in around their shoulders. Just as Elrond was making for his own bed, he changed his mind and went for his own wardrobe. After changing into sleeping pants and shirt, he grabbed his own bedroll and lay down next to Elrohir.

How long he stayed there just watching them, Elrond had no idea. Finally, he let the day catch up with him and his eyes lightly clouded over. But, just like any father, he would be awake in an instant if any of his children needed him.

Later that night, the moon was finally released from the clouds' clutches and allowed to shed her light. Her gentle rays fell upon the slumbering family. So diverse, and yet, so well connected. By hears, by minds, by souls. Each felt another's pain; rare among families, let alone mixed ones. But they were a family, and that's all that mattered.


End file.
